Cold Moon
by Copper Moon
Summary: Axel's relationship with Saix becomes more strained as his friendship with Roxas and Xion grows. Thorn is asked to assist Leon, Cid, Cloud and the others to restore Hallow Bastion as well as embark on a quest to restore something lost. Can she keep off the Organization's radar as well as maintain her bond with Axel? Sequel to Dark Flame. Takes place over 358/2 Days and KH2. Axel/OC
1. Old Promise, New Journey

**Intro**

Welcome to the sequel of Dark Flame. We would like to thank the creators of Kingdom Hearts for supplying us with wonderful characters to write fanfiction about. As a disclaimer, we do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. The only character we own is our OC.

**Recap**

The story began with a young woman named Thorn who lost her world, and her friends to the darkness. With the help of a man named Diz, she alone managed to escape her world's fate. Thorn aspired to become a mage and was trained in the ways of magic. She also had a very rare gift, the ability to see into others hearts. For a time, she trained under the sorcerer Yensid until Diz took her to live with him and assist him in protecting worlds against heartless. During her time with him, she came across a person who perplexed her because she could not see his heart. Curious, she began actively seeking this unknown being, and as a result, they began searching for her. Axel was sent by Organization 13 to discover more about this odd girl and bring her into their fold. He approached her and managed to further pique her interest in him and the others like him. In hopes of finding her friends and restoring them, Thorn went with Axel.

During her stay in The World That Never Was, Thorn got to know the Nobodies who lived there. Much of her time was spent with Vexen who tirelessly sought to discover the source of her abilities as well as their maximum potential. She also began assisting the Nobodies on missions. She grew close to a select few of the members, Axel in particular. The Flurry of the Dancing Flames developed a sense of caring towards the mage which Thorn readily accepted and reciprocated. Eventually, Saix discovered the magnitude of their relationship and grew to disdain the heartseer. In an attempt to be rid of her, Saix had Thorn sent to Castle Oblivion where Vexen would remove her heart so that he may harness her ability over hearts. Axel had other ideas and let Thorn go after all of the people in Castle Oblivion were eliminated. The two parted ways at Yensid's castle in the hopes that one day they could be together again.

And now, beloved readers, we give you….

**COLD MOON**

**Chapter 1: Old Promise, New Journey**

_"The person you once were no longer exists. You are a Nobody. An empty shell with no heart. Identity, feelings, and connections, all of these no longer exist for you. Anything you believe to be feeling is merely a pretense brought on by your memories. However, there is a way to restore to you what is lost. Come with me, and we shall seek it, together."_

_The man with yellow eyes and silver hair smiled as he extended his hand._

_"From this point forward, your name will be..."_

Organization member number seven, Saix, stared out from a balcony of the Castle That Never Was overlooking the World That Never Was. There were no trees, no houses, nor people milling about their daily lives. There was only a city, empty, barren, and lifeless. No sound could be heard anywhere amongst the many giants of steel and glass poking out through the dark mist hovering like a shroud over the vacant streets. The sky was just as dark and empty, with no sun, no moon, and no stars in sight. Everything about this world was dark and bleak. Even the castle, while it stood monolithic above the city, its grandeur was as equally empty and lifeless.

"Not the same, is it?"

Lea appeared from behind, coming to stand beside the blue haired male. Saix turned his head to look at him. Lea hadn't changed much after losing his heart. At least not physically. He had marks under his eyes, but that was the only visible change.

"How are you feeling?" Saix asked him.

"Better now that I know you're alright," the red head answered with a smile. He looked out at the scenery, or lack thereof, leaning against the balcony edge as he did so. "This place sure is gloomy. Nothing to do and not an ice cream shop in sight."

"Is ice cream the only thing that would make this place not gloomy?" Saix asked glancing over at his old friend.

Lea laughed at this and shook his head. "Nah, it'd take a lot more to spruce this place up, but I doubt the big wigs would be too happy about it," he replied looking out over the city. "Well, I'll bet Braig...sorry Xigbar would be okay with a bit of redecorating."

"He'd be the only one," Saix pointed out. "You know Vexen would destroy everything while Xemnas simply wouldn't allow it."

"Yeah...but I'll bet it'd make Ienzo smile."

"I doubt it. And it's Zexion, remember Lea?"

"Right, yeah," the red head muttered, scratching his head as though he had a terrible itch. "While we're on that, it's not Lea anymore."

Saix had gathered as much. Every person who had donned the black cloak and become a member had been given a new name. A constant reminder they were no longer the people they once were. "What is it then?"

"Axel." The name came hesitantly from his lips, as though he were testing it out for the first time.

Saix released a breath, the closest he'd come to chuckling after becoming a Nobody.

"What's so funny?" the other demanded, making an indignant face.

"It's appropriate," Saix answered. "The way you used always to spin those toys of yours around."

"Oh yeah?" Axel held out his hand, his face tightening with focus. Flames erupted from his hand and a chakram burst into existence, his fingers grasping it at the middle. "How's this for a toy?"

Saix looked the weapon over carefully before answering. "It is an improvement," he admitted. "But still more of a toy."

"Oh yeah, what have you got?" Axel demanded putting his weapon away and folding his arms. He stared at the blue haired Nobody waiting to see his weapon.

After a time, the more serious member sighed and turned towards the redhead, holding out his hand. In it appeared a very large claymore. "_This_ is a weapon," he murmured. As he showed off the weapon, his lips turned up slightly in an almost smirk.

Axel rolled his eyes. "Bigger isn't always better," he said, though it was easy to tell he was just the slightest bit envious.

"Perhaps we should settle it with a match then," Saix suggested mildly.

"Eh, maybe later," the other said with a shrug. "I'm still getting used to this whole… well, everything."

The number seven understood what he meant. Ever since becoming a Nobody, he felt… well, empty. To fill the void, he would frequently recall his past memories, using them to draw some sort of reference. It helped, but it never even came close to what he knew he should feel. On the plus side, he'd become stronger than he could ever remember being in his old life. He'd thought about asking Xemnas on many occasions, but he didn't want to seem too reliant on him. Saix did not and would not allow himself to trust him.

He put his weapon away and returned to looking out at the empty world. Their new home. No… not even that. If home is where the heart is, then by default, they had no home. They had nothing.

Axel placed a hand on Saix's shoulder. "So what do you wanna do?" When Saix didn't answer, the number eight added, "Oh, come on, you gotta have something planned, right?"

Saix was silent for a few moments before nodding. "Of course." He slowly turned his head towards the red head and looked him seriously in the eye. "The two of us will work together to regain our hearts. Once we have that, we'll go home."

"You really think we can?" Axel asked curiously. "I mean the castle was taken over right?"

"Yes, but with our new abilities it'll be easy to retake it," he replied confidently. "We just have to play our roles here until then." He held his hand out towards Axel and smiled slightly. "No matter what we run into and no matter what we're asked, when push comes to shove, we look out for each other."

The red head's mouth stretched into a wide grin, much like the one he often used to wear, though it didn't quite fully reach his eyes. Without even a second to think it over, he took hold of Saix's hand. "You got it, partner."

It was a promise between friends. As far as the two were concerned, getting their hearts back was the main goal. Nothing and no one else mattered. Once they were whole again, they could leave this prison and go back home.

Together.

* * *

Axel didn't care much for monotony. That's exactly what his current task was. Monotonous. Every day it was the same routine: scour Castle Oblivion to try and find one room out of hundreds, possibly thousands. As if the countless doors to walk through made things difficult, but Axel got the sense that nothing ever stayed in the same place. Especially if it didn't want to be found.

Oh, look at that, now he was becoming paranoid. Well, he'd been at this a straight month, so why shouldn't he be?

He stopped in a nondescript room and sat against the wall to rest his legs for a bit. If he'd known things were going to be THIS mundane and boring he would've kept Thorn with him a little longer.

When he thought about it a little more, he knew it was better he'd let her go when he did. Still he… well, he was pretty sure he missed her. The thought of not seeing her again gave him the uncomfortable sensation of his blood running thin, chilling him from skin to bone. He'd been having a hard time sleeping knowing that he was the only one in the bed, and that when he reached across the mattress, the only thing his hand would grab is empty air.

Man… is this what longing felt like?

Now that she was gone, Axel wondered how long it would take for the numbness to fully settle back in. He'd started to feel it slowing creeping back over him the way a snake slowly wraps itself around its next potential meal. It was the sense of emptiness and uncertainty of knowing that something critically important was missing. Except now Axel wasn't sure whether that something was the organ which supposedly would have made him a complete person, or the girl who had made him feel like he was whole.

Axel knew there was no sense dwelling on it. He still had things to take care of within the organization. Saix was still counting on him, though admittedly Axel had other reasons of greater interest. There was his new friend Roxas. It just wouldn't sit right to let the kid fend for himself in that rough cut group.

The red head stood back up. No sense sitting around waiting for the room to come to him, as nice as that would be. In a few more days he would have to return and report his findings, or lack thereof as it were. He would of course report that unfortunately due to the intruders, all the other members were regrettably slain. Namine, whom Marluxia was supposed to be watching, ran off and disappeared during the fiasco. And Thorn… before Vexen could complete his experiment she managed to get loose and ended up getting caught in the crossfire. Which was more or less true anyway.

Now maybe things would be able to calm back down. He and Saix could get back to their plan. Most of the obstacles had been erased so there was very little getting in their way now.

Of course… if Thorn found Saix's heart first, then maybe there wouldn't be a need for the plan after all. They'd finally be free.

* * *

"Mage in training, Thorn. No...Evangeline. Having only just completed the final test, how would you evaluate your performance?"

Thorn closed her eyes for a moment blocking out the dark haired woman before her as she pondered the question. As had been stated, she'd just finished the final exam for her high school, which consisted of battling against the largest creature she'd ever seen in her world. It was a test that at one point had brought her much concern and worry, but as it had been weaker than anything she'd faced since leaving, it was simple. During the fight she'd even shown off her more powerful spells even though there was no need to in order to win. Now with the fight over, she stood before her teacher, Madam Lulu ready to hear the results of this long awaited exam.

"I believe I performed to the best of my abilities," she answered after a time. "I understood this test was used to determine my skill in battle as well as my level of control with my magic. I was able to defeat my foe without being touched and have demonstrated my growth since my departure."

She had of course told Madam Lulu everything that had happened to her in those three months of absence...but no one else in their world knew the truth. It really made her smile with pleasure seeing the shocked and jealous looks on the other mages' faces as she easily defeated the monster. It took the rest a lot of time and effort to complete.

"I do however, feel as though I still have much to learn," she admitted. "Whether I pass or fail, I will continue to further myself and my abilities."

Lulu inclined her head slowly, the placid expression a show that she found Thorn's answer a passable one. "And if given the rank of a mage, do you swear to uphold all rules and responsibilities of the magical arts?"

There was no hesitation. "I do."

"Then I hereby grant you the title of Mage," the elder female declared. "From this point forward, you are free to learn and use any spells of your choosing, so long as they are for the right reasons. You are also free to unlock your limiters at your own discretion. Do you have any questions?"

Thorn opened her mouth, but before she could ask, a ball of light suddenly flew into the room through the window. In a bright burst, an elderly man with a pointed hat and a long white beard appeared.

"Ah, sorry I'm late… traffic you know," he said adjusting his glass.

"Uh...Merlin," Thorn gasped in surprise. He was one of the last people she ever expected to see there. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, it's a pleasure to see you again...what was your name?" Merlin greeted finding it difficult to remember.

"Thorn," she told him with a smile. Somehow his easy forgetfulness was endearing. "So what brings you here?"

"I came to speak with you and Miss...Lulu," he answered turning back towards the elder sorceress. "You see, we are having problems back in Hollow Bastion. I would like to request Thorn's help in keeping the heartless at bay and in the restoration of the world."

"I think that would be acceptable," Lulu answered. "However, as she is no longer my student, the decision to go is ultimately hers."

"Of course I'll go." Thorn was brimming with excitement.

As much as she loved being home with her friends, Thorn had come to realize how dull staying in one place was. She wanted to be able to visit more worlds, learn new things and meet new people. After her adventure, she found it was no longer possible to return to the ways things used to be and pretend it all never happened. She couldn't stay in one place and she knew in her heart her future wasn't here. It was out there. Granted, she would miss the guys, but she could always come back and visit from time to time.

"Well then, if you are ready we should be off," he said easily pulling back his sleeves and preparing to transport them both right then and there.

"Wait!" The shout startled everyone in the room as three boys burst through the door tripping over each other's feet as they entered and falling face first to the floor.

"What are you guys doing here?" Thorn asked with a sigh. She wasn't too surprised to see they'd been eaves dropping but it was slightly irritating.

"I'd like to know as well. Why were you three eavesdropping on our private conversation?" Lulu demanded in her cool calm voice.

"After what happened before? There's no way we're leaving her alone," Zell exclaimed hurriedly shoving himself back onto his feet.

"She is our friend and our family, there is nothing we are not willing to do to keep her safe," Irvine added also returning to his feet.

"In other words, she's not going anywhere without us," Zidane summed up from his spot on the floor. He'd been on the bottom of the pile and was now rubbing his sore head.

"You guys…" Thorn couldn't fight the smile that was forcing its way onto her lips. She shook her head. "It's going to be dangerous. There are heartless in this world." Even though she knew each of them were terrific fighters in their own right. However, all it would take is one slip up, one mishap, and they would be gone. She didn't want to go through that again.

"Exactly, which is why you'll need us," Zell said as though she'd just proven their point rather than hers.

"Travel between worlds is a privilege, one which is only bestowed upon those who have a great need for it," Lulu told the three of them severely.

"Now, now, Miss Lulu," Merlin said, waving his hands with a chuckle. "We could always use a few extra helping hands. Though I suppose I'll leave the decision up to Thorn as to whether or not they should be allowed into our company."

The three boys immediately began staring up at her with their big eyes, silently pleading with her not to leave them behind. After a few moments she sighed. She couldn't just leave them, despite what she thought was best.

"Alright, as long as you guys do what you're supposed to and don't cause trouble...I guess you can come," she sighed after a lapse of silent contemplation. The three cheered with joy before starting a group hug with her in the center. "Okay, okay. Let go so we can get moving."

They did as they were told all grinning ear to ear in their own way. "If that's the answer then let us all be off," Merlin exclaimed preparing to head out.

"A moment." Lulu stepped forward until she stood in front of Thorn. Looking at the pair standing together, it wasn't hard for a bystander to guess their relationship was a deep one filled with mutual respect. The older woman held out a small object for Thorn to take. "This bell has a powerful charm on it. It can guard against even the most deadly of assaults or become the source of one. However, the magic in it is limited to a single use. Be careful when deciding to employ it's power."

Thorn took the small, silver bell, unable to verbally state how grateful she was for the gift. "Thank you, Madam Lulu," she said, fisting it for a moment before placing it into her pocket. "I promise I won't waste it."

"Hey, old man," Zidane said to Merlin. "Is it alright if we stop by our place to pick up some stuff for the road?"

"Old man?" Merlin cleared his throat indignantly. "Young man, I am the great wizard Merlin, and you'll do well to remember that."

"I apologize for our friend's lack of manners," Irvine said, giving the monkey tailed boy a swift smack on the back of the head. "We do however have things we simply cannot leave without and would like to retrieve them."

"Hmm...I believe that is acceptable," Merlin agreed. "But make it quick, we do not have time to dawdle."

"Thanks, Master Merlin," Thorn expressed with the smallest of bows. Then she ushered the three boys out of the room, all headed to their pad to collect their things for the long journey ahead. Before she followed after them, she turned and addressed the two once more. "Thank you, for everything, Madam Lulu. I doubt I would have made it back without your lessons. I'll make you proud."

With that she too left the room planning on bringing everything she owned that was important. She would not leave anything behind.

* * *

CM: So there it is! After months of waiting, the first chapter of the sequel. We're debating on whether or not to continue, so its all up to you. Let us know your opinions of the chapter. If we get enough reviews, we will happily continue posting for this.

Also, if you're interested, check out my deviantart page. My pen name is the same: CopperMoon. You can find pictures of Thorn as well as other KH characters there. Enjoy!


	2. Always a Castle

**Chapter 2: Always a Castle**

It didn't take long for the four friends to get packed. They didn't own too many things of value; they could neither afford to, nor did their small living space have the room for it. Zidane packed his daggers, one of his duel blades, and his lock picking kit. Irvine packed his guns, cologne, and an extra pair of boots. Zell packed hair gel, his knuckle braces, a package of hotdogs, and his skateboard. Thorn probably packed the lightest of them all. She packed one of her favorite books on magic, a treasure box the guys had given to her for her birthday with a few assorted items, her make-up, and of course, her cloak. She hadn't worn it since returning to her world, but she couldn't even dream of getting rid of it. Once they were finished packing their personal effects, including several sets of clothes, they were ready.

With everything together, the four headed outside where Merlin was waiting for them. He met each of their gazes, checking to see if they were indeed ready before activating his magic with a few odd sounding words. Next thing they knew they were flying through a multi-colored corridor with no way of knowing how long the trip would take or what they'd find when they arrived. They certainly had no way of predicting the situation they'd find themselves in upon arrival.

The instant they landed in the new world they found themselves in the center of a crowd of heartless. Just past the mass of heartless they could see a large castle rising high into the sky.

"Uh...tell me you meant to do this old man," Zidane muttered immediately pulling out his dual blade. Zell pulled on his knuckle bracers and Irvine loaded his rifle.

"I'm betting the answer is no," Irvine murmured before Merlin could retort.

"Stay together guys," Thorn stated firmly as she gathered her magic. "We'll blow a path towards the castle. Don't get separated."

Thorn was glad to see the guys do pretty well for themselves as far as fighting went. No surprise, considering each of them were at the top of their classes. Irvine never missed a shot, Zidane slashed through with an unparalleled swiftness, and Zell used each of his foes as a punching bag. With three fighters and two magic users, clearing a path to the castle wasn't too big of a chore. They got to the doors, only to find them locked.

"Well, this sucks," Zidane commented.

Merlin rubbed his beard. "Ah, yes, let's see… I know there was a spell to unlock the doors. "Now how did it go?"

"This isn't exactly the best time to forget something like that," Irvine commented as he shot another shadow creature through the head.

"No, but nagging him won't help either," Thorn pointed out calmly. "Now, let Master Merlin do his thing, we just need to keep these guys busy." As she spoke, she pulled her hands up and called "stop" forcing a large chunk of the closest heartless to freeze in their tracks.

"Alright, Thorn!" Zell shouted excitedly. He and Zidane began destroying the frozen heartless while Irvine continued to shoot the still moving ones that were farther back.

As the mass of heartless continued to draw closer, Merlin finally recalled the words to open the door and did so. As soon as the door was open, they all clambered through the doorway before finally allowing it to close locking the heartless out.

"Well, that was a fun welcoming party," Thorn joked as she brushed her dark locks out of her face.

"Looks like Merlin got a little lost on the flight here again, huh?"

Waiting for them just down the hall near a corner was a short haired girl dressed like a ninja. She strolled causally towards them, a welcoming smile on her face. "Nice to see you guys made it alright. Though I thought there were only supposed to be two of you."

"Yes, well, these three young lads volunteered to help us in our endeavors," Merlin explained to her.

"Well, that's fine with me. We could use all the help we can get. My name's Yuffie by the way." She gestured for them all to follow. "Follow me. I'll take you to meet the others."

The group followed the ninja girl through what felt like a maze of corridors. "How big is this place?" Zidane asked.

"Pretty big," she answered. "It is a castle after all. Though it wasn't always this miserable looking."

"Really, what did it use to look like?" Zell asked out of curiosity. It was pretty dark and gloomy but it was bigger and cooler than anything he'd seen back home.

"It used to be filled with warm welcoming light," she explained, suddenly looking like she was seeing something far away. "It was once the most beautiful location in all of Hallow Bastion. Both inside and the outside garden."

"There's a garden?" Irvine asked intrigued.

"Not anymore," Yuffie laughed. "But maybe when we're done it'll be back." The group fell silent as they continued down the hall until they reached a rather large room filled with what looked like blueprints scattered over several tables. Around the tables were many bookshelves filled to the brim with different books suggesting it was supposed to be a library.

At one of the tables, a blonde man probably in his forties was pouring over one of the blueprints while chewing on a toothpick. "Damn witch, messed the whole place up. This is gonna take forever to fix," he muttered to himself, scratching under the band of the goggles resting on his forehead.

"Still hard at work, Cid?" the ninja girl asked, approaching him.

The man glanced up, his eyebrows drawn together in frustration. "Since the crack of dawn." He looked at the group behind her. "Is this supposed to be the extra help? A bunch of kids?"

"Hey, pops, you're looking at the three best fighters and the greatest mage of Skyline City," Zell declared, pumping a fist for emphasis.

"Exactly," Zidane added putting his hands behind his head in a cocky manner, his tail swinging back and forth behind him.

"I seriously doubt a monkey is going to be much help," Cid muttered taking notice of the swinging tail.

"With all due respect, we've all recently graduated from our school and are hardly children," Irvine spoke up. "Our skills will surprise you."

"What they mean, Cid Highwind, is that while we are probably kids to you, we are all of age and excel at our respective fields," Thorn continued looking rather calm but being sure to confidently meet his eye. "Test them if you like."

"I don't think that will be necessary," a new voice declared.

They all looked over to see a new pair of people descending the stairs from the second floor. One was a male with dark hair and a scar across his face. The other was a female with wide green eyes and long brown hair tied back with a ribbon.

"Hey, guys," Yuffie called to them. "How's inventory going?"

"We managed to find a few more items that salvageable," the male told her. "It's a pain getting around this place though."

The green eyed female turned to the group of newcomers and smiled. "Thank you all so much for coming to help us. We really appreciate it."

All three of the males blushed a little and fidgeted, each giving a nervous or embarrassed laugh. Thorn had the urge to roll hers eyes and shake her head. Boys.

"It is our pleasure to assist such a lovely creature," Irvine greeted having approached the brunette. He removed his hat and suavely took her hand giving it a gentle kiss. "If there is anything I can do for you, do not hesitate to ask."

She giggled lightly at his actions and slowly removed her hand from his. "Thank you, but you'll actually be answering to Leon and Cid," she told him in amusement.

"Well, I can do anything you want," Zidane said suddenly coming up behind the cowboy. "Even if it's just trying to make you smile."

"Oh please, you couldn't get a girl to smile without that stupid tail of yours," Zell grumbled folding his arms in irritation. "Besides, you're crowding her. A girl like that only really needs one man." As he spoke, he flexed his arm, giving a thumbs-up and grinning like an idiot.

"Sorry about them," Thorn sighed after muttering a float spell. "They often think with their second brains only." With that, she lifted them into the air and moved them to the other side of the room, ignoring their minor grumbles of complaints and protests. "I'm Thorn by the way, and these three morons are my friends from my world. Irvine, Zidane, and Zell."

"Merlin told us you might be coming. My name is Aerith." She gave a respectful incline of her head. She gestured to the scarred, brooding male. "That's Leon, and it looks like you've already met Yuffie and Cid."

It was then, Merlin cleared his throat. "Well, now introductions are out of the way, why don't you all get these young ones informed of our situation here whilst I go reinforce the wards?" With that, he turned and exited the room.

Zidane's head tipped to the side. "Wards?"

"They're what keep the heartless from coming in here," Leon explained, his arms folded solidly across his chest. "We have a few other areas warded off, but this library serves as our home base for the moment."

Thorn touched her chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, maybe I can help with that. Merlin did mention you were trying to restore the world. It'll be hard to do that with heartless always popping up."

Yuffie nodded. "Yep, which is why we're here. Right now, driving the heartless back is our number one priority."

"Problem is, the damn things keep popping up, no matter how many times we take care of em," Cid muttered, biting harder down on his toothpick.

"That's because we can't fully destroy heartless," Thorn explained easily. "All that happens is the hearts inside them simply stay in a type of stasis until the heartless reforms somewhere else."

"So, in other words there's no way to destroy them permanently," Cid demanded in irritation.

"Basically," Thorn answered with a shrug. "We can still keep them at bay though. At the very least destroying them for that short time will give us a better chance at survival."

"You seem to know an awful lot about the heartless," Leon commented eyeing her suspiciously.

"That's because she's been fighting them for a long time," Zidane spoke up quickly.

"Yeah, she's been to all sorts of worlds fighting them," Zell added with a cocky smile.

"How in blazes did you manage that?" Cid asked, now looking curious. "The only way to get to different worlds is by gummi ship or some other special means, like Merlin's magic." The others looked to her, also appearing rather curious.

"Well, I AM a mage," Thorn replied elusively. She really didn't want to recount the events to which she fell under Diz's care, and then later fell in league with the Organization 13. Somehow she didn't feel that would go over too well with anyone.

"So from what it sounds like," Irvine said, calling attention away from Thorn. "We'll need to clear out the majority of heartless before this world can become livable again. He tapped the barrel of his gun against his chest. "It doesn't matter what sort of creature it is. If you destroy enough in a given area, they'll learn not to come around there."

"So, it's like training them," Yuffie piped up excitedly. "Especially if we could destroy a large enough group of them in one shot."

"That's easy enough," Thorn stated with a small smile. "Get me to a high enough point and I'll take care of that myself."

"Confident," Leon muttered. "What makes you so sure?"

"Easy...I've done it before," she explained giving the swordsman a "try me" look.

"In that case, I think we should try clearing the town first," Aerith suggested. "That way we can start rebuilding housing, and people could start to live there again."

Leon unfolded his arms. "Alright, let's get started. Aerith, you stay here and help Cid. The rest of you come with me."

"Wish those other two would hurry up with the transport," Cid grumbled, turning back to his work.

"You can't rush them you know," Aerith pointed out walking over to the older male while the others left the room. "You're more likely to upset them or cause them to do shoddy work."

"Yeah I know that," Cid grumbled glancing up at the young woman. "But he shouldn't be taking this long either. I'll bet he's gone off and disappeared again, gloomy bastard."

"That's just your way of being worried," she said knowingly as she sat down next to him.

"They'll be back soon, you'll see." Cid muttered something incoherently but decided not to argue. She had a way of knowing things about the others and generally ended up being right. So instead he went back to the plans on the table.

* * *

Meanwhile, Leon and Yuffie were busy taking the new comers towards the front entrance where once again the heartless were gathering. "Alright, we only have 10 minutes to destroy as many as we can before Merlin's wards kick in once more and we become locked out," Leon explained. "Without him with us we won't have enough magical energy to reopen it."

Irvine cocked his gun and held it at the ready. "Sounds manageable."

Zidane stretched a little before he looked to Zell. "I bet I can take out more than you."

"In your dreams, monkey boy."

"Guys, TRY to take this seriously," Thorn chided them. They may be able to hold their own in a fight, but they were still new to fighting these creatures, shadows that would take their hearts at any given chance.

Once the doors were open, the fighters ran outside allowing the doors to shut behind them. The heartless appeared instantly, some scuttling along the ground, others zipping about through the air.

Yuffie and Leon were quick to show just how adapted they were to fighting the heartless. They understood how they moved, and how they could appear very suddenly where you wouldn't normally expect them to.

Thorn took up her position near the door and walked slowly forward as she blasted heartless left and right with her minor fire, ice, and lightning spells. She made sure to stay back far enough to keep an eye on her friends, just in case. Zell and Zidane almost instantly dove into the mass of heartless counting after each destroyed heartless trying to outdo the other. Irvine on the other hand hung back like Thorn and shot every heartless in his sight with ease.

Near the ten minute mark, lots of the heartless were already wiped out but there were still plenty left over. Leon and Yuffie quickly pulled back and called to the others to do the same. The three boys, however, didn't seem to hear him; as they continued to battle though they were quickly tiring out.

"You guys get back here!" Yuffie called out from the doorway. It was beginning to close and they didn't want to lose their help already.

Thorn glanced over at the three as they continued to fight ignoring all the shouts towards them. Just before the door closed she got fed up with it, used her float spell and chucked the three through the doorway before it closed.

"Honestly, I can't take them anywhere," she muttered, pushing up the sleeves of her jacket. Still, this would give her a chance to use a spell she'd been practicing for the past month now. As the crowd of heartless made its way towards her, she focused her magic, letting the energy build up around her. Holy Judgment!" She released her power, and light rained down upon the whole area.

Meanwhile on the other side of the door, Zell was pounding on the door trying to get it to open. "Dammit, open up!"

"Zell, calm down," Yuffie told him.

"I'm with Zell on this one," Zidane piped up. "We need to open the doors."

"The doors won't open without magic," Leon told them. "I'll go get Merlin so that he can let her in. Until then, she can fend for herself."

"We won't be leaving her alone out there," Irvine stated firmly. "We came to assist her, not leave her to fend for herself."

"If she's as strong as we hear then she can last until we get the door open," Leon told them. "Until then you're going to have to wait."

The three knew he was right but they still didn't want to leave her. Just as they were nodding their heads in understanding, the door started to open and the group turned in surprise as Thorn stepped through the doors brushing off her hands. Behind her, the front courtyard was empty.

"You guys miss me?" she asked brushing the loose hair out of her face.

"How did you do that?" Yuffie asked, clearly impressed.

"Simple, when we first came here, I watched Merlin open the doors," Thorn explained. "It took me a few tries but I finally got it right."

"Impressive," Leon complimented, looking past her to see the absence of heartless. "I think we could get used to having another magic user around."

Thorn smiled a little at that. The other three merely beamed with pride as though they'd expected nothing less from her.

"Well, alright, I think we've earned ourselves a small break," Yuffie said with a smile. "Let's go get some food and after that we'll get you guys settled in."

"Sweet! What's for lunch?" Zell exclaimed excitedly.

"Whatever it is won't be enough to fill your stomach," Zidane snickered.

"Shut it monkey before I shut it for you," Zell retorted as the two faced off.

"Can we have one meal in peace?" Irvine asked shaking his head.

"Nope...but I kind of like it that way," Thorn replied chuckling lightly. "Now will you two cool it? Let's go get something to eat."

"Fine," the two muttered at the same time as they followed an amused Yuffie and an irritated Leon.

The group returned to the library to grab a bite to eat and get better acquainted with each other. Afterwards they spent the rest of the day doing clean up around the castle area. There was a lot to do, and Leon made sure to keep them all busy until it was time for bed.

"Man, I don't think I've ever run around so much in a single day," Zell commented as they were being shown to their rooms.

"Ha, I still have plenty of energy," Zidane said, not wanting to show how tired he was. "I could probably go all night."

"Well, I for one am ready to sleep." Irvine wasn't ashamed to admit his fatigue. He wasn't as used to physical endurance as the rest of them were.

Thorn was also ready for sleep. Potions and ethers could only stave of tiredness for so long, and she was out of practice as far as fighting dozens of opponents for extended periods of time.

"Here's Thorn's room," Yuffie said opening a door and gesturing for the young mage to enter.

She did so and to the ninja's surprise so did the three boys. "What are you guys doing? This is Thorn's room!" she exclaimed in shock.

"Yeah, but we always..." Zell and Zidane both started to say before Thorn knocked them on the head.

"You guys, she's right," she stated putting her hands on her hips. "I think you're all old enough to have your own rooms...besides I'm sure you don't want to give Aerith the wrong idea about you." She knew how to get to them, though after living with them for so long it wasn't that surprising.

Truth be told, Thorn hadn't been able to share a bed with any of them after returning from her journey. Even though they were all her closest friends and she loathed sleeping by herself, she just couldn't do it. It would feel too much like she was betraying him. So even while they had shared a room in their small abode, she had separated her bed from theirs.

When they asked her why, she simply told them they couldn't all sleep in the same bed forever. Thorn hadn't told them everything about what transpired between her and Axel over the several months she had been with him. She wasn't sure how to. Worst yet, she was afraid telling them would change things between them.

"But..." Zell started to argue. He was the only one though; the other two knew by now that once she said something there was almost no changing her mind.

"Are you sure?" Irvine asked as Zidane started dragging the taller blonde away.

"Yeah, we all have to grow up sometime right?" she replied easily giving him a reassuring smile. He nodded in disappointment before following the other two down the hall.

Yuffie looked up at Thorn in confusion but she just shook her head signaling that she wasn't going to say a word on the matter. The Ninja shrugged before heading down the hall after the boys. The last thing she wanted was those three idiots running around unmonitored.

Once they were gone, Thorn glanced around at her new living quarters. There were two beds, one stacked on top of the other in a bunk style, most likely to save room. There was a large dresser, as well as a wardrobe and also a shelf to put things. Thorn could see immediately that someone else occupied this room with the few personal effects that were lying around. She went over to the dresser and found a few empty drawers to put her stuff in. She heard the door open and turned to see an unfamiliar face.

"Oh, hello there." It was a busty female with long dark hair and eyes. "You must be one of the new ones I've been hearing about. My name is Tifa, and, it looks like you and I will be roommates for a while."

"Looks like it," Thorn replied with a shrug. "So then, which bunk is yours?" She was a little irritated to learn she'd be sharing the room anyway, but also found it to be a comfort. She wouldn't be completely alone at night, though she was sure the guys would want to come stay with her even more. They wouldn't be able to keep their eyes off this one.

"So, Tifa, mind if I ask what you've been doing?" she asked after of time. She tried hard not to search the woman's heart. She wanted to continue to get to know people the old fashioned way...like she did with _them_.

"The bottom bunk is mine. Hope that's alright."

Thorn nodded, letting the other female know that wasn't a problem. She walked over to the set of bunk beds and tossed the rest of her stuff up onto her mattress.

"As for what I've been doing, I was working with Cloud on getting supplies moved from other parts of the castle to areas that have been warded off. That's probably why you didn't see us earlier."

"Huh… so is everyone paired up for rooms then?"

Tifa nodded. "That's right… Cid's with Merlin, Yuffie and Aerith are rooming together, and Leon shares his room with Cloud."

"Really?" Thorn had to smile at that. Leon seemed too stiff to want bother with a roommate. "What sort of person is Cloud?"

The other female smiled as well, though Thorn wasn't convinced it was a happy one. "He's pretty withdrawn. Doesn't talk all that much, so he and Leon make a great pair."

"Just to be clear, when you say pair…"

"I mean they won't kill each other being in the same room," Tifa answered with a light chuckle.

"Right, well that's a good thing I suppose," Thorn murmured softly. "So is this your world as well or did you lose yours?"

"This is ours," Tifa answered easily. "Though I guess you could say that we did lose it for a time. That's why we're fighting...to put it back."

"I understand that," Thorn murmured in a gentle fashion. "Well, after the fight earlier as well as all the cleaning I'm exhausted now. Have a good night, Tifa."

With that, Thorn climbed up onto her bed, after hearing Tifa say her own 'goodnight', and got herself comfortable. The bed sheets had a clean yet musty smell to them as if they hadn't been used in a while. This place was going to take a little getting used to. Amazing how she always seemed to end up in some sort of castle these days.

* * *

CM: It's refreshing to finally have other characters in the story other than Organization 13. Don't worry, you'll be seeing plenty of them soon enough. ;) Thank you to those who reviewed and encouraged us to continue.


	3. New Mission

**Chapter 3: New Mission**

A full month passed, and the four newcomers managed to settle into the new world rather nicely. While there had been some beginning tensions, especially where the three boys' behavior was concerned, they were able to prove themselves as an asset to the team. Like Thorn, they also hadn't given up on improving their skills. While Thorn trained with Merlin, Zidane trained with Leon, Zell sparred with Tifa, and Cid had been kind enough to help Irvine set up a shooting range for him to practice.

With everyone's help, they'd managed to collect most of the important, salvageable stuff around the castle. Heartless were still popping up around the place, but less frequently the more they took care of them. After a few weeks of this, they felt confident enough to venture into town and start working on cleaning up the mess years of abuse and abandonment had caused.

"Whew, looks like we finally have one finished," Thorn murmured wiping the sweat off her brow. For the last several hours, she'd been helping put together the first of many houses that would eventually make up the town. She'd used her magic all day lifting the different building materials as well as fighting off any heartless that got too close. The others were working directly with their hands and were unable to return to battle as swiftly as Thorn.

"Looks great guys," Yuffie exclaimed jumping up and down excitedly. She'd just put the finishing touch on the door and stood back looking the entire project over. "This'll withstand a ton of heartless attacks."

"I doubt it, but it's a start," Cid muttered pulling the cigarette out of his mouth.

"Tch, this'll become the main target for the heartless," Cloud grumbled folding his arms. "I still say this is a waste of time."

"If it's such a waste then take off, blondie!" Zell said in irritation as he leaned on Zidane's head.

The tailed boy shoved the guy's arm off. "You're blonde too, moron. Why not Spiky?"

Cloud turned away from the pair and decidedly went off on his own. Thorn silently watched him leave. She'd learned right away upon meeting him that Cloud wasn't the social type. It was a difficult struggle to resist temptation and peek into his heart. See exactly what demons were haunting the dark corners of his mind.

Yuffie shook her head but didn't stop him. "So, anyway, I figure that once we get this place all fixed up, this could be our home base for the town. "Cid's got this idea to set up a sort of security system to make the town safe from heartless."

"Is that really possible?" Irvine asked in wonder.

"Knowing Cid, probably. He'll need a place in town to set it up though. So until we can go at least ten steps in one direction without a heartless popping up, that plans gonna be on stand by for a while."

"Exactly, which is why we've got to get this building up and ready to be a sort of HQ," Cid spoke up slapping a hand down on Zell and Zidane's shoulders. "You two boys are going to help me get some equipment in there. Your climbing ability will be really helpful getting the wires and monitors into the higher places, Monkey."

"I'm not a monkey old man," Zidane shot back pulling out from under his grasp.

"Irvine, you and Yuffie should stay outside the building until they're done moving the equipment inside," Leon ordered having approached the group during Cid's rant. "Thorn will help with the moving of the equipment."

"Yeah, where are you gonna be?" Zell demanded. He didn't like the idea of doing a lot of heavy lifting when this guy was getting a free ride.

"I'm going to be directing traffic and making sure you don't lift something that's too heavy and drop it," Leon answered, giving the boy an "I dare you to argue it" look.

"Alright then," Thorn said, cutting in before an argument could crop up. "You point I'll levitate."

Leon nodded in what might been leader's approval. "The books would be a good place to start."

"You got it." Thorn lifted her hands and very subtly under her breath began to mutter words of a spell. One by one the boxes of books rose up off the ground and air danced their way inside. "Hockity pockity wockity wak, odds and ends and bricker brack…"

She prayed that no one would hear her, as Leon stood by, giving directions to the other two. While Thorn was doing her spell, she got the weird feeling that someone was watching her. She gave a quick glance around and for a second she thought she saw a figure in black. When she looked again however, there was no one there. Was she seeing things or…

Suddenly there was the sound of two large objects colliding and a grunt of pain. Thorn looked over to see she'd accidentally knocked Leon over with one of the book loaded boxes. Zell and Zidane were seconds away from rolling on the ground, they were laughing so hard.

"Oh, wow… are you alright?" she said quickly going over to him.

"No permanent damage," he told her a little agitatedly, rubbing his arm. "What were you looking at?"

"I… thought I saw a heartless, and I wanted to be prepared," she lied.

His expression softened the slightest. "I suppose I can't blame you for being on your guard. This world isn't going to be safe for a long time."

"Well, yeah…" She reached out a hand to help him up. "But that's what we're here for, right?"

"Right," he answered, his mouth turning up at the corners.

His smile made her feel a little better about knocking him over. It wasn't very big and almost never appeared, but every now and again he'd have one and it just lifted her spirits.

After that little mishap they were able to continue moving the items they needed from the castle to the lone house. By the time they were finished Thorn was exhausted but she'd forgotten all about the possible shadow she'd seen. It just didn't seem that important. If it had been the organization she would have already been dealing with them directly. If it was a heartless it had already disappeared and wouldn't have been that much of a threat anyway with as many people as they had. Despite all the heartless and near constant bickering, she'd actually found it all to be rather peaceful and relaxing. Not something she was use to...ever.

It didn't even cross her mind it could ever be the man whose heart she held.

Quite literally.

* * *

Axel knew it was a bad idea to look for her. He knew it, and yet he had done it anyway. It had taken a while, and several dusks to do it, but he had found her. He had just finished his mission at Castle Oblivion, and he figured he could check up on her to make sure she was safe. Well, he had found her, and she looked pretty safe. And happy.

He never would have imagined she would be at his old home, or what was left of it, working to rebuild what was lost. If only Saix could've seen it… He snorted at the thought. Right, like it would've made a difference?

Axel sighed and laid back against the headboard of his bed, relaxing his sore muscles. It had been hard to resist just popping up behind her and catch her by surprise. It was bad enough she almost saw him.

He sighed again as he thought about how much she'd grown since he'd last seen her. She was able to keep a spell going continuously for a lot longer than before and she didn't really seem all that tired by the time they'd all gone back inside. He was also glad to see that she was back with her old friends; he recognized the three boys from the picture she'd drawn. They really were a bunch of goofballs.

He closed his eyes picturing the scene as vividly as if he was standing there again. The clearing of someone's throat brought him back to the present though as his eyes shot open and he saw Saix standing next to his bed.

"Damn it, Saix," he exclaimed sitting up. "I have a door here for a reason. Can't you just knock?"

"No," the blue haired nobody answered firmly. "You still haven't given your report. What happened at Castle Oblivion?"

"Good to see you too, ol' buddy. Nice to know you missed me." Axel smiled, perking an eyebrow. "What, worried I didn't meet your expectations?"

Saix's expression did not respond to Axel's display of sarcasm. "I prefer to have the details."

"There's no one left alive at that castle," the red head assured him with a small wave of his hand. "I made sure of that, just like you wanted."

"What of Namine and the Heartseer?" His eyes hardened just a margin upon mentioning the latter.

"Namine just up and vanished while everything was going down with the Keyblade master," Axel answered easily. "As for the other one, she got loose at some point and ended up getting caught up in the crossfire."

"So you're saying she's been eliminated." Saix was determined for a solid verification of her annihilation.

"Trust me," Axel said with a smirk. "You won't have to worry about her anymore."

Saix closed his eyes thinking over Axel's words and the meaning behind them. After a moment he opened them again and nodded. "Good," he said soberly. "And...what of the other task?"

"No go, couldn't find it at all," Axel answered with a shrug. "It's not easy getting around that place you know. Some of the doors are always locked and I'm positive a few of the rooms keep moving."

"So in other words, that part of the mission failed," Saix surmised.

"If you want to put it like that, yeah," the redhead muttered getting up from the bed. "Honestly though, if you have a way of finding it that I haven't tried yet I'd love to hear it."

"We can worry about that later," Saix told him. "For the moment, we've rid ourselves of everyone who was getting in the way."

"Well, you were right about Marluxia being a traitor, but now our numbers have been cut in half." He looked at Saix and smiled a little. "You're really set on this, aren't you? Tell me, was I one of the ones counted as 'getting in the way'?" He had stated this jokingly, but the long pause that followed was a little discomforting. "Okay, that's not cool man."

Saix turned away from him. "You came back in one piece, didn't you?"

Well, it was nice to hear Saix still had SOME confidence in him at least. Maybe now that Thorn was out of the picture for the time being things would fall back to the way they used to be.

"Get your rest," Saix said opening a portal to exit the room. "You'll be returning to your duties of looking after Roxas after tomorrow."

"That soon?" Axel exclaimed in exasperation. "I only get one day to relax? I was gone a whole month! Can't I get a week or something?"

"You said it yourself, our numbers have been halved," Saix said, turning to look at him. "Meaning we'll need to pick up the slack they left behind. You should be grateful you get even a day."

"Right, right, nice show of appreciation," Axel called before the portal closed and the blue hair member vanished. He grumbled a bit as he fell back onto his pillows. They smelled freshly laundered, the scent of roses and spice completely absent. It was like she'd never been there.

He closed his eyes and rolled over, intent on getting as much sleep as he could. Axel tried not to think about how large and empty the bed seemed without a certain someone else there.

* * *

It was amazing how easy it was to get people riled up, Thorn discovered, especially this group of misfits. She was sitting on a chair against one of the far walls of the group's headquarters outside the castle. Zell and Zidane were in the center of the room trying to out-drink each other while Cid and Yuffie cheered them on. Irvine was on the sidelines with a small drink of his own chatting up Aerith and Tifa was somehow managing to get Leon to laugh...okay, smile but that's still shocking for him.

Thorn smiled softly to herself as she watched the group drink and party like they'd finished building the entire town. This wasn't the case though. They'd just finished setting up the second house, after their headquarters, and her three friends had decided it was a cause for celebration, so here they were.

Although the three boys weren't old enough to drink by their world's standards, they somehow managed to convince Cid they were old enough to handle it and after only three beers each Zell and Zidane were long gone. Irvine limited himself to only a single drink as it would be his first, but that didn't stop him from throwing all his charm into trying to convince Aerith to at least let him wrap his arm around her shoulder.

Feeling she needed a bit of fresh air, Thorn rose to her feet and slipped out of the door while everyone else was distracted. Outside it was still and peaceful, the dark indigo sky was littered with billions of stars. She wondered which one was hers, but she had absolutely no way of knowing. Her eyes scanned the darkness around her. She knew without a doubt there were heartless lurking in the shadows. The night hours were their ideal time to come out and play.

"Sure you wanna be out this time of night?"

Thorn glanced over to see Cloud leaning against the far corner of the hideout. She knew he wasn't much of a socialist and was probably out here by himself to get away from the noise. "I think I'll be just fine." She stepped closer to him, stopping when she was a couple feet away and taking a spot on the wall. "And what about you? I mean, I know those guys can be obnoxious but I'd say their company beats heartless any day."

He didn't look at her. His arms were folded across his chest while his eyes examined the ground. "What reason do they have to celebrate? We've barely made any progress."

Thorn shrugged. "Even if it's small, it's still progress."

"Yeah, but you don't think this is overkill?" he asked glancing her way for just a moment.

Thorn chuckled a little at this. "Maybe slightly," she answered in amusement. "But they aren't trying to blow our success out of proportion or anything. It's more to keep moral up. Do you feel better when you think of it as we ONLY built two houses or we managed to build two houses?"

Cloud grunted in understanding though he still thought having a party this early on was pretty pointless. Thorn found his determination to be brooding to be amusing and for the first time since she arrived, she fell to temptation and took a peek at his heart.

Immediately she saw the reason he was so brooding, he had a pretty terrible past. But what really surprised her, was that she saw he wasn't nearly as depressed as she thought. Turned out, he was even better at hiding his emotions than her. Inside, he was smiling at the sounds of joy going on, though actually participating would be too much. Sitting outside was the only way to enjoy himself and not get too pissed off at the others.

As the two enjoyed the semi-peacefulness of the outdoors, it was suddenly interrupted when a glowing ball of light flew into the area. In a bright burst of light which caused both Thorn and Cloud to shield their eyes, Merlin appeared before them.

"Ah, there you are, young lady!" Merlin said, addressing Thorn.

"Hello, Master Merlin," Thorn greeted with an incline of her head. "Did you need me for something?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. I was just speaking with an old friend," he explained while stroking his magnificent beard. "A man I believe you're quite familiar with. Now I know it's late, but he wishes to speak with you in person."

Thorn's disposition perked up considerably. "Do you mean Master Yensid?"

Merlin nodded his head. "Quite right. If it's not too inconvenient…"

"It's not." Thorn had wanted to see the sorcerer for quite some time now. She hadn't the chance to ever since her world had been restored. She turned to look at Cloud who had been politely silent the entire time. "I don't suppose you could cover for me?"

"Worried those three will send out a search party?" The tone was sober but his lips betrayed the smallest of smiles.

Thorn released a breathy laugh. "Are you kidding? They would be the search party. Just, if they ask, let them know I'm fine and I'll be back soon."

He nodded and closed his eyes. "I'll take care of them," he promised.

She thanked him, knowing he wouldn't do anything too damaging to them, and went to Merlin's side. As soon as she was beside him, she let him know she was ready and he nodded before lightly taking her hand and using his magic to transport them to Yensid's castle.

"Thanks, Master Merlin, I'll be fine from here," she murmured once they arrived.

"Alright, just let me know when you're finished and I'll bring you back," he told her before disappearing.

She smiled at the spot where he was standing before heading inside. She knew it was best not to keep him waiting so she immediately went to his office. When she reached his door, she respectively knocked and waited for his call to her to enter.

"You wished to see me, Master Yensid?" she asked stepping through the door.

She spotted the sorcerer standing in front of his star shaped window, gazing out into the night sky. Upon her entering, he slowly turned and welcomed her with a tepid smile. "Indeed, I did. I do apologize for the late hour."

"It's really no trouble at all," she assured, stepping forward to stand in front of his desk. "I've actually been hoping for an excuse to come visit."

"I wish I could say this visit was of a more light hearted nature, but it is good to see you have been keeping well." He went to his desk and settled himself into his chair. "As you know, you have a very rare gift, one of which its origins are still unknown to us. Because of it, you have gone through many hardships and have struggled with the shadows in your heart."

Thorn silently nodded, acknowledging everything he said while waiting and wondering where this discussion was heading.

"Now here you stand, a young mage who has fought many battles and has learned not only to contend with her gift, but to utilize it in a beneficial manner." His hands rested atop his desk, his fingers forming a steeple. "Currently the key bearer's journey is halted. It is time for you to take _your_ journey." Yensid's tone was austere, his eyebrows furrowed, making his gaze intense. "With your help we can bring back someone long lost."

"Who do you mean?" she asked in confusion.

"You will learn soon enough," he replied shortly before continuing. "This person's heart has been shattered into many pieces and scattered about the worlds. I need you to assist me in finding the pieces of his heart."

"Pieces of a heart," she repeated slowly. "How would I know what to look for?"

"You already know the heart very well after seeing it for years," he replied easily. "Although I do not know what they will look like to you, I'm sure you will be able to identify them without difficulty."

"Sounds like a pretty big job." The thought of find scattered pieces of a heart amongst several worlds sounded even more daunting than trying to find her friends' lost hearts.

"It is," Yensid confirmed. "One that will take a great deal of time and effort on your part. Is this a journey you would be willing to undertake?"

Thorn closed her eyes and quietly thought it over. Clearly this was something only she could do, and she knew Master Yensid wouldn't ask anything of her unless it was absolutely necessary. It would probably mean more time away from her friends, but even so... this could be a big opportunity for her to practice her skills even more. She could always return to Hollow Bastion from time to time to help out.

"Yes, sir," she replied after thinking through it thoroughly. "I will take this journey."

His mouth turned up in a tiny smile at her answer. "That is good to hear," he murmured. "As you will be traveling to different worlds, you will need this." He reached into his desk and placed atop it some sort of crystal.

Thorn stepped forward and gingerly picked up the object. It was a lot lighter than she'd expected and was emanating a strange warmth. "What is it?"

"It is a Star Shard, and it will guide you to where you need to go. Be sure to use it wisely. Also, you'll have to remember not to use the portals of darkness even within the worlds. There's no telling how closely the Organization is watching."

"I know," she replied easily, pocketing the object. "I won't forget. Is there anything else you can tell me about these...heart pieces? Like what does the heart owner look like? I have to be able to confirm that I have the right heart after all."

Yensid was silent, as though pondering what he should tell her. Finally, he said, "The person whose heart you are searching for bears a striking resemblance to Sora's Nobody."

"Roxas?" Thorn frowned, wondering why that was or how that was possible. Well, at least it was something to work with.

"For now, return to Hollow Bastion, rest, and make whatever preparations you need for your expedition. If you do manage to locate a piece of the heart, I ask that you bring it back here as soon as you are able."

"Understood." She bowed to him. "Thank you for this honor. I won't let you down."

"I know you won't," he murmured getting to his feet and leading her towards the door. "Feel free to call the train to your location wherever you may be to get the heart piece here. It may be easier than attempting to fly here each time."

Thorn had to agree with that, though she really didn't know how hard flying would be anyway. After this she said her goodbyes and called on Merlin who then returned her to Hollow Bastion.

"Well, I should get ready...and probably talk to Cid when he's not completely inebriated," she thought after thanking Merlin for taking her to and from Yensid's place. She returned to the Headquarters and saw that the party had ended. Zell and Zidane had passed out on the floor and someone had covered them with a blanket. Yuffie was slumped over one of the tables asleep.

"Glad to see you made it back safely." Leon was leaning against one of the walls, arms crossed over his chest.

"Where's everyone else?" she asked, taking another glance around.

"They're all back at the castle. I was waiting for Merlin to help me take these three back up."

"I guess it is still a little soon to be spending nights down here."

"Indeed," Merlin stated, pushing up his sleeves. "So let's get these youngsters to bed where they belong."

Leon nodded and pushed himself off the wall. "Thorn, could you get Yuffie?" He approached the two sleeping boys and pulled Zidane off the floor and onto his back. The monkey boy stirred a little mumbling incoherently but didn't open his eyes.

"I think the little monkey is winning you over, Leon," Thorn lightly prodded as she prepared a float spell to use on the sleeping female ninja.

"No," he disagreed shaking his head as he adjusted the boy on his back. "He is a good kid though, they all are."

"I know," she murmured as she lifted Yuffie and she followed him and Merlin out the door. "You did choose to lift him instead of Zell though. Why is that?"

"He's lighter," Leon answered easily. He glanced over at her and saw the unconvinced smirk on her face. "Alright, he sort of reminds me of myself when I was younger. Plus he isn't as loud or flirty as the other two."

"What, Irvine constantly flirting with Aerith and Tifa getting to you?" she teased.

"Sometimes it seems like he doesn't know where to draw the line."

"Maybe, but he never has any ill intentions."

"Which is the only reason why Tifa hasn't buried him yet."

Thorn chuckled at that and they fell into silence the rest of the way. With Merlin, they had little trouble with the heartless and managed to make it to the castle safely. Once everyone had been tucked into their respective beds, it was time for them to do so as well.

"Leon…" Thorn halted him before he headed off to his own room. "Something's come up and I'm going to have to leave for a bit."

The tall brunette looked a little surprised at this, but he was courteous enough not ask why. "When, and for how long?"

"Soon, and I'm not sure," she answered truthfully. "I've been debating on whether or not to tell Zidane, Zell, and Irvine. I know that if I do, they'll beg to come with me, and as much as I want to, I just can't take them."

"Even so, it's best to be honest with them," Leon advised. "You can't have friendships without trust."

"Yeah, I know that," she murmured brushing a bit of hair out of her eyes. "But, for the longest time it was just us. They're not going to want to let me leave without them."

Leon sighed and walked over to her placing a hand on her shoulder. "Give them a bit of credit," he told her reassuringly. "It's not just the four of you anymore, they'll be able to function just fine. The real question is...can you go without them?"

"Yeah...I can," she murmured softly thinking about her three months of loneliness.

"Well, when you can come back, we'll be here waiting for you." He offered her one of his rare, half smiles before heading down the hallway towards his room.

Thorn watched him go. For so long, it had been just the four of them. Now though, it seemed their little family was finally starting to grow.

"Hmm...maybe this'll be easier than I thought," she murmured to herself as she stepped into the room she shared with Tifa. "Maybe for once...I can leave them alone and not have to worry. Cid and Leon will definitely take care of them." She smiled sadly to herself at this thought and climbed into bed. Before finally falling asleep one more idea slipped through her mind... "I'm not needed by them anymore."

* * *

CM: Aww, sadness. :( Hopefully things will get better. Just as a warning, there will be spoilers from here on out for anyone who hasn't play BBS or Days. We'll also be pulling references from both the game and the manga. Looking forward to your feedback. :D


	4. Memories of a Shattered Heart

**Chapter 4: Memories of a Shattered Heart**

Three months. Riku could scarcely believe it had been that long since Sora went into his sleep. Sora was always one to laze about, but this was ridiculous. He knew it would take time, Namine had told him as much. Yet he hadn't expected it to be this long, and even still there were no signs of him ever waking up. It was disconcerting, especially since it seemed with each passing day, he felt like he was losing pieces of his own memories. Again, Namine had said this was to be expected, since his heart was connected to Sora's. Unfortunately, knowing didn't soften the trepidation it brought. How long would it be before he lost all memories of his best friend?

"Just how long do you plan to sleep, Sora?" he asked out loud, knowing he would receive no answer.

Yet he did.

"I'm sorry it's taking so long. Really, if I could make it go faster, I would."

Riku sensed Namine there with him. There was little point turning to look at her, since he'd long since blindfolded himself. His way of hiding his shame.

"It's alright," Riku told her without moving. "Sora always had a tendency to sleep on the job. I just hope he doesn't stay asleep for too long."

"I wish I could tell you how long it'll take," Namine expressed lightly. She touched his arm in a comforting manner before looking at the egg shaped pod that held the sleeping keyblade wielder. "I promise I will put all of his memories back where they belong."

"Thanks, I'm counting on you," he replied calmly.

* * *

"What is the meaning of this?"

Saix held the report out in front of Demyx who was still half-asleep in spite of it being late morning. Once again, number nine had turned in an incomplete report, and consequentially, once again, Saix was having to scold him for it.

Demyx looked at the report rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I was gonna finish it, honest! Time just got away from me."

"Perhaps if you spent less time plucking at that toy of yours, you'd find more time to write a half-decent report." Saix shoved the report at him. "Fix it! Otherwise I'll revoke your playing privileges for an entire week."

"Aw, man…" Demyx groaned, taking the sheet of paper while glowering. "Who even reads these stupid reports?" he muttered as he walked off.

Saix sighed and shook his head. The things he had to deal with sometimes. Not long ago the two keyblade wielders had started asking to go on missions together. It was as though he was dealing with HER all over again. As Axel passed him by the two had a brief, meeting of the eyes. Used to he could often guess at the red head's thinking. These days, however, it was once more growing steadily impossible to understand him. He was always spending time with those two, Roxas and Xion, always jumping to their defense.

He watched Axel leave without a word and the thought crossed his mind that once again his friend was drifting away from him. For someone who'd just pulled himself out of the clutches of the heartseer, he'd attached himself a little too quickly and too much. It seemed that Axel was hell-bent on having something small and weak to look after; almost like a pet.

He shook his head at the idea, but it made perfect sense to him. As he left the Grey Area and headed to his own room he decided to allow Axel to play with his "little pets" a bit longer before dragging him back to reality.

After a time he reached Addled Impasse and stood at the vast window looking out towards the giant mass of hearts in the sky. Moon gazing was the only thing he could remember that ever calmed him down when he was feeling agitated, and although this wasn't a moon it was the closest thing he'd get in that world. Oddly enough, it worked just the same.

"Pretty amazing isn't it?"

Saix turned his head to see Xigbar strolling over to him. Truth be told, the number seven member didn't care much for the company of number two. He'd tolerate it, but the man's overall attitude just rubbed Saix the wrong way.

The marksman came to stand by Saix, looking out at the heart shaped moon in the sky. "Kingdom Hearts is finally in sight, yet still so far out of our reach. Almost bitter sweet if you think about it."

"Did you need something?" Saix asked shortly. Xigbar had this disturbing habit of making everyone else's business his own, and it was no secret that in spite of Saix's efforts to work his way up the ladder, the marksman was still Xemnas's most trusted confidant.

"Just noticing that you seem to be distracted lately," Xigbar answered with a shrug. "Flamsilocks is getting pretty close to the two kids. Reminds me a little of how he was towards Angel-face. Kind of strange how he went from saying he got over her only to act the same way towards these two."

"Are you trying to say that Axel lied about what happened in Castle Oblivion?" Saix asked though he'd rather the conversation ended and the number two left.

"I'm not suggesting anything, but it is weird how his actions haven't changed since then despite what he's said," Xigbar pointed out looking over at the number VII with his one good eye. After a few moments lacking of a response from the blue haired member, he shrugged. "But then, what do I know? Maybe he's just looking for a replacement."

Saix continued to fixate his gaze on the moon outside, but it was difficult to pretend that he wasn't bothered by what the marksman was insinuating. It's true, Axel had harbored some strange attachment towards the girl, but he and Saix had known each other for most of their lives. That should bear some sort of merit, and he wasn't about to let the freeshooter sway him to paranoia over a matter best left forgotten.

"I believe you have work to attend to, do you not?" Saix asked, finally allowing his stone cold gaze to meet Xigbar's.

Even if Axel had allowed her to escape, he still came back. In that regard, he had chosen his true friend over her. If that was the case, it seemed only natural he would do so again if it came to it.

"Yeah, I'm headed out," Xigbar answered moving away from the blue haired NOBODY. Before he left though he paused and without looking back continued, "Just make sure you don't lose sight of the true goal. Obtaining kingdom hearts comes before your friendship. The leader won't let it go unpunished if he chooses to interfere."

"I know," Saix replied coldly. Then the other left. "As long as our plans come together though, he won't have a say in what happens to Axel...I will," he continued in his head. He was determined to finish his own plans with Axel long before anything like that came up.

* * *

Getting packed for the trip wasn't that difficult. Thorn wasn't planning on taking much with her. Just the necessary items, potions, ethers, some food, and of course a decent amount of munny in case she needed to buy supplies or stay at an inn of some sort. She sincerely hoped most of the places she was visiting weren't below rural or a ways away from civilization. It wasn't that she hated wilderness, but she wasn't an expert on wildlife survival and something told her this job was going to take a while.

She had informed the other three about her new mission, and as expected they wanted to go with her. Thorn suspected the few weeks which they had to live without her seemed to really have impacted them. Just as she had search tirelessly for them when they'd disappeared, they'd done the very same when the world was revived and she wasn't there with them. Thorn repeatedly told herself over and over that they needed this. They needed to learn how to function without her, and she without them. Otherwise, how would they ever move forward?

"What will you do if you get seriously hurt?" Zidane demanded for the hundreth time. "If you can't heal yourself you'll die. There won't be anyone out there to help you."

"I've had more than enough practice I know what I'm doing," she assured them. This time she used her magic to silence them before any more protests could be made. "Guys I'm going and nothing is going to change that. You'll be more than helpful here getting the town rebuilt. I'll come back every now and again to visit so you don't have to worry."

After that she released her spell and was pleased to see they had nothing else to argue about. Then she gave each of them a hug and nodded a farewell to the others.

"We'll take good care of these guys," Yuffie assured her giving Zidane a noogie. He shoved her off and fixed his hair before looking back at his departing friend.

"Just make sure you do come back, or these kids will drive us nuts," Cid added pulling the toothpick out of his mouth.

"Be safe," Aerith told her, placing a hand over the left side of her chest, "and know that our hearts are always with you."

Thorn nodded. It was a shame Leon, Cloud, and Merlin couldn't be there to wish her a farewell, but they'd already been filled in. Besides, she'd see them again soon enough. She hoped. "Well, see you all when I get back."

Feeling the goodbyes had been dragged out for long enough, she stepped outside the headquarters building, shutting the door behind her as she went. The moment she was outside she fished the star shard out of her pocket and stared down at it.

"Okay…" She closed her eyes and gripped the crystal tightly between her fingers. She pictured Roxas's face, hoping that might inspire something to happen. "Show me where I need to go."

Beyond her closed eyelids, a bright light was burning through and she felt a magical surge all through her body. Then suddenly she was zipping through the air, and then space. Her body no longer had physical tangibility. She may as well have been particles of dust in the wind.

When the swirling lights stopped, Thorn found herself back in the world with a large mountain and a forest off to the side. "Huh, isn't this the place where those odd dwarves were?" she wondered to herself. "I wonder if they ever found their princess."

Seeing as how she no longer had a reason to keep herself hidden, she decided to find the group of seven short men and ask them for some help. She'd need a clue of some sort to find that piece of a heart.

Considering where she'd found them the last time she was there, she started making her way up to the mine at the top of the mountain.

It didn't take her long to find it and when she did, she clearly heard the clinking of their picks on the walls. "Well, I might as well go in and say 'hello'...though I kind of wish I hadn't wiped their memories of me now."

Thorn stepped inside the cave. Not much had changed with exception of the placements of tools and piles of loose rock. The walls still glittered with diamonds and rubies half buried in the earth. She wondered if the dwarves realized they could probably upgrade their cottage to a mansion if they wanted.

She made no efforts to hide her presence this time, so when she entered a few of them immediately noticed her.

"There's a girl here!" one with a brown hat exclaimed looking practically mesmerized. It was probably safe to say they didn't get many visitors.

"Hello. "She tried to look as friendly as possible.

She met eyes with one of them who immediately turned beet red and began twisting his shirt in his hands.

"Why hello there my gear, uh dear," the one she recognized as the leader greeted walking up to her. It was amazing how much friendlier they were when she wasn't trying to take their jewels. "What brings you out here?"

"I was looking for something," she told them easily. "Think you guys could give me a hand?"

Before any of them could respond, the grumpy suspicious one from before shook his head and glared at her. "There ain't no way we're helping you," he declared. "You're probably just here to steal our diamonds."

"Uh...no, I'm not," she assured him. That one was a real pain before. Would he really try to convince them not to help her when she hadn't even done anything...this time?

"I doubt that," the one with a bright smile on his face cut in. "She seems pretty harmless. What are you looking for?"

"Well, it's hard to explain…" Really, she barely knew what she was looking for. "Have any of you come across anything peculiar here, or anywhere else?"

"The only thing peculiar around here is you," the grumpy one grunted. "Just look at her! I bet she's a witch!"

"A witch!?" Half of them repeated.

"Okay, that's just rude," Thorn said putting her hands on her hips. It wasn't the first time someone called her that, but even still, it irked her a bit. She wanted to tell him the proper term was 'mage' but she didn't think that would help her case any. "You don't see me judging you about your height, do you?"

"Hmph, we may be small but we've dealt with your kind before," he said crossing his arms over his puffed out chest.

Thorn sighed, shaking her head. "Look, I don't want any trouble. All I want is to find…" She trailed off when she noticed farther back in the cave a small light shimmering in midair. She looked back to the dwarves who were all watching her, waiting for her to finish her sentence.

"Find what, miss?" the happy one asked.

"Uh..." Now that she thought about it, she actually had no idea how to explain what it was she was searching for so they could understand. "Um...it's a part of someone that's very important."

The shimmer caught her eye again and this time she saw it morph into the shape of a boy...the boy she was looking for.

"A part of someone?" the grumpy dwarf asked crossing his arms in front of him. "You mean like their arm or leg? I'll bet you're the reason they're in pieces."

"No, that's not what I…" Thorn looked again and once more was distracted by what was going on behind them.

The whole room was changing… no… more like there was a ghostly overlay. She was seeing two different versions of the cave; one which was how it was now, and a transparent version of what it once was. She also saw images of the dwarves running from the boy as he chased them around. Thorn watched the scene and after a few moments she realized what she was seeing. This was his memory.

Thorn felt someone poking her side and she snapped back to attention. "What?" She looked down to see the dopey one stumble back a couple steps in surprise.

"Are you all bright, er, right?" The one with glasses asked.

"Yeah… just thought I saw something." They probably all thought she was nuts by this point.

The scene before her shimmered and disappeared, the boy changing back into a shimmering ball of light. Then it flew right over the dwarves' heads and out the cave entrance.

"Uh...never mind. I think I found what I was looking for," she said quickly before turning on her heel and running after the light. Once outside, she watched the light heading for the forest and hurried after it making sure not to lose it.

She chased the shimmering light through the mountain and the forest up to a small cottage. A single glance at the cottage showed her it belonged to the dwarves as the doorway alone looked small enough that she'd have to duck to get through. To her surprise, the shimmering light paused at the door before morphing into the boy again.

"So, little heart piece, what memory are you going to show me now?" she muttered under her breath as she watched him peak through one of the windows.

Suddenly he turned around he'd heard something and faced the forest. He frowned before running past Thorn into the dark thicket of trees.

"In there again, huh?"

Thorn chased after him, not wanting to lose sight of him. She followed him until he came to a halt in a clearing where a dark haired girl was sitting on the ground weeping. He approached her and offered a helping hand and a warm smile.

The girl took it and he helped her up. She looked a lot less afraid with him there. The image once more faded away and the glittering ball of light flew over her head and back towards the cottage.

"Geez, make up your mind, will you?"

She followed it back to the cottage and went inside where it had morphed back into the boy. He was showing the dark haired girl the cottage. After a few moments, he said a few comforting words to her and she smiled thanking him.

After that the images vanished and Thorn half expected to follow the light out the door again, but it didn't move. Instead more images appeared in its place. The boy stood before the group of dwarves and the dark haired girl. They were conversing over something but she couldn't tell what. Whatever it was, it was angering the little men who were standing protectively around the dark haired woman.

Once the scene was finished playing out, the light returned, but this time it remained hovering in the center of the room. Thorn approached it cautiously, afraid she might scared it away. Slowly, carefully, she reached out and touched it. The light exploded and Thorn had to close her eyes for a few seconds. When she opened them again, the boy was standing before her, and he was looking right at her.

"Who are you?" he asked her.

"I'm Thorn," she introduced herself. "And I'm a friend… or at least… I'd like to be."

The boy glanced around. "I've been here for so long… I didn't think anyone would ever notice me."

"Well, you don't have to worry anymore," she told him holding a hand out towards him. "I'm here to take you home."

"Home?" he asked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Thorn smiled warmly as she drew slightly closer. "You're only a piece of a heart that was lost a long time ago," she explained. "But your body is still around, somewhere safe. I'm going to return you to your body where you'll never be alone again."

The boy looked up at her and a smile came to his face as well. "Thank you," he murmured reaching out and taking her hand. "You'll take good care of me right?"

"I promise," she murmured. He smiled wider at this before the image faded and in her hand was left a tiny portion of a heart.

Just by the fragment she could tell whoever this person was had been very good and kind. She still couldn't shake the fact that he looked just like Roxas though. But he was Sora's Nobody. What did it all mean? Well, she wasn't going to get any answers just sitting here thinking about it. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the music box and placed the heart piece inside of it.

"One down," she thought before leaving the cottage.

* * *

Diz was checking on Sora's status when he received the call from Yensid. It was the first contact he'd had with the wizard since he'd been stolen from by Thorn. The message he'd received did not give any details about what was needed but did say it involved the young mage.

He assumed at first that the topic would be about her rescue or word of her death based on what Riku told him. At the very least, if she was alive he was sure she now understood why he told her to stay away from them.

After ensuring there would be no upsets during his brief absence, Diz left his mansion in Twilight Town and arrived in the sorcerer's world. Once there he went to the highest room of the tallest tower. Yensid was at his bookshelf glancing over the titles printed in gold lettering on the spines.

"Every time I come here it always seems exactly the same as my visit prior," Diz commented. "Have you considered perhaps redecorating?"

"No," came the wizard's simple answer. "There is no need to."

"I believe that at least rearranging your furniture may help with the monotony," Diz pointed out.

"My good friend, I did not call you hear to discuss my choice of decorations," the wizard commented turning to face him. "I assumed that after everything you've seen her go through that you would wish to know the whereabouts of my young apprentice."

"Of course I do," Diz responded with a sigh. "But as she is still in the clutches of the Organization I hardly see how that is possible."

"Quite the contrary. Thorn is free and doing quite well for herself. She made a return home in time to pass her exams and now officially carries the title of a mage. She's also been helping with the restoration of Hollow Bastion."

"You mean to say she escaped?" Diz asked, his tone bordering on disbelief. "Why wasn't I informed of this until now?"

"There was no need to tell you at the time," Yensid explain. Then with the smallest of smiles, he added, "That and she might have expressed a desire for you not to know."

"After saving her from her crumbling world you'd think she'd have been a bit more grateful to me," the man in red said shaking his head. "Yet it seems she still holds some malice towards me."

"It can't be helped," Yensid murmured. "A part of her may still remember your very first encounter, even if her mind cannot."

"True, but that shouldn't come in to play for a long time to come," Diz stated firmly.

"No, hopefully it will not."

"So then, since she is free of the Organization, what is she doing?"

"I have recently decided to send her on a small quest of her own to keep her busy and help maintain her magical skill," Yensid explained moving over to his desk and taking a seat. "She will now be searching for the pieces of his heart."

"Do you think it wise to just allow her to roam about the worlds while _they_ are still out there?" No effort was made to disguise the skeptical underline of his voice. "While their number may have been halved thanks to the keyblade bearer, the fact remains the Organization still exists. They continue to plot and scheme and nothing short of their complete annihilation will stop them. They will pursue her again. She needs to be kept some place out of their reach, whether it be at my mansion or this tower."

The sorcerer shook his head. "You know full well I cannot do that. Thorn has never been one for prisons. If there is some place she does not wish to be, then she will find a way out. Just as she did with you, and just as she did with the Organization. "

"She would listen to you," Diz pointed out.

"Only for a short amount of time," the wizard replied shortly. "She has a strong will and if she desires something enough not even I can stop her from obtaining it."

"And so you're alright with her being out there where she can be relocated by them?" the other demanded.

"No. The Organization will not be searching for her as they believe she no longer exists," Yensid answered. "We've taken precautions to ensure her secrecy for as long as we are able."

Diz paused at this, but persisted in his standpoint. "Even still, nobodies roam the worlds freely. All it would take is one to spot her and we would be right back to where we began."

"Perhaps, but I ask that you try to have a little faith in her abilities. She is no longer a tottering child. She has grown much in the last several months."

The other man released a weary sigh. "I'm beginning to think stubbornness is an attribute to being a magic user."

Yensid inclined his head, as if to say he wasn't far off the mark. "A certain level of tenacity is required, especially for those who desire to immerse themselves in it."

"Well she certainly isn't short of that." Diz turned away from the sorcerer to stare at the door, but he did not move towards it. "I don't believe it was by chance or coincidence that she ended up with them. Not after what took place many years prior. I often wonder if perhaps I'm to blame."

"You had no idea at the time what would happen to her," Yensid replied shaking his head. "The time you saw her, she had no way of asking for help."

"No, but I should not have been so ready to accept her presence either," Diz murmured softly. "I may have been able to prevent what happened."

"From what I understand, she may have already been affected by the time you saw her," Yensid corrected. "There was nothing you could have done. And now you must trust that she will continue to grow stronger and not fall prey to them a second time."

Easier said than done. Diz had a difficult time trusting anything or anyone ever since he'd been banished from his own kingdom. "How did she manage to escape, if you don't mind me asking?"

"That is something you should ask her should the two of you ever meet again," Yensid answered. "I'm sure it promises to be an interesting tale."

Diz scoffed. "Considering she didn't even want me to know if she was dead or alive, I doubt I'll ever get to hear the story."

"I do hope that one day you both can settle your differences."

"It won't matter," Diz sighed heavily. "As you've said, she has a strong will. Unless she remembers my involvement or I somehow manage to help her in some significant way, she will not accept me. Nor should she."

Yensid sighed and shook his head. The two were far too stubborn for their own good. He was certain that they may actually be able to understand and respect each other, if they didn't harbor such an obstinate dislike for one another. "Either way, we may know the outcome when her journey comes to an end."

* * *

CM: Lot's of stuff going on all around. So Thorn has begun the journey to pick up the pieces of a young boy's shattered heart. Let's hope nothing goes wrong along they way. Please let us know what you think. :)


End file.
